I have several herbs and cannas not listed on my list yet. Could you please look at my list and see if anything there you might like. And I'll check out the things on your wish list and get back with you, if you want to trade. I see several things I'd like on your list. Thanks for your time and PLMK ! Melinda

John, the photo of C. ÂBlue Steel as stated in the RHS trials was submitted by B. Williams. I think this photo was submitted by Brian prior to the trials. All the trial entries were grown in containers and as you see, this canna photo is not in a container. (At least the one I found) You might check out his web site by doing a search for Brians Botanicals. I made a quick check of his site and at the present I did not see any cannas listed. I do not recall how this cultivar did during the trials but there were a number of cultivars that were never included in the viewing (judging) areas for one reason or the other. The best information about any of these results needs to come from the UK trial administrators. No doubt that the colors of the canna leaves are genetic related and are usually in the range of green to red (burgundy). The idea of a true blue is likely not possible and may be the result of photography? No deceit implied. We often see leaves that are described or appear as blue-green etc. There are a number of red leaf shades of canna leaves in the marketplace. Old historic information tends to promote the specie canna warscewiczii as the origin of our red leaf cannas? Regards, Kent

Plectranthus argentatus for silvery white, fuzzy leaves. Tibouchina heteromalla for silvery green, velvety leaves everyone wants to touch, plus once a year spikes of intense purple flowers. Coleus are beautiful, but I've just discovered magilla pernilla (m. perilla) which is supposedly a full sun-to-full shade perennial, with gorgeous quad-color leaves just like a coleus! I'm so anxious to see if this will do well over our damp cold winters. Just about every heuchera variety, but particularly 'Crimson Curls and 'Snow Angel'. Just gorgeous next to anything! Abutilon pictum 'Thompsonii' -- every abutilon has wonderful flowers, but the 'Thompsonii' has foliage that is a show-stopper. They're fussy, prone to aphids, need some sun but not too much, some shade but not too much, some humidity but not too much, etc. etc. But every visitor to the garden asks me what it is, and when you have as many plants crammed into different flower beds as I have, that indicates it's a real crowd-pleaser.

I have a variegated hydrangea (got 2 off the "rescue rack" at Lowes) that I just planted next to my evergold sedge. I think they look great together and plan to get another sedge for the other side of the plant next spring. I recently picked up on markdowns a variegated Japanese iris and a variegated butterfly bush. They are also close to each other, but I am thinking the Iris might like a slightly shadier spot... Still kicking myself for not getting the Silver Dragon (I think, it was green and white, not yellow) lirope I saw at a nursery down in Atlanta a few weeks ago. "No use buying this here, they are sure to have it in SC..." Yeah right... ARGHHHH don't think it is worth the drive down to Atlanta just for a few liropes.